Saturday, May 7, 2011

Chasing the Light for Koi Nobori Photos in Okinawa, Japan

Koi Nobori (Carp streamers) flying in the air all over Okinawa and the rest of Japan have been escaping my camera lens for too long this year. 

Today, Rusty and I had two missions to accomplish.  Get Mother's Day cards and shoot some Koi Nobori.

It's rainy season right now but, every once in awhile the sun shines. We knew it would happen today.

He's driving like the LAW IS AFTER US when all of a sudden he spotted these Koi Nobori on a bridge we were crossing, hits the brakes and makes a u-turn.

There were plenty of the things strung out across the river and hanging on the next few bridges upstream but, I wasn't too thrilled with the lighting conditions.


Following the dirt road along the river banks got me some closer shots but, not what I was after.  We had to keep moving, chasing the light for the photos I like to take. 

The Mother's Day card store would be open a few more hours.  So, our mothers could just do what they always do. Wait.


Here is what I mean by chasing the light.  This Koi Nobori was in the kind of sky that I like shooting under.

When you see a pole with these windsock-fish flying from it, the biggest one is usually black and at the top of the pole.  That represents the father.  The next largest Koi Nobori is red or pink and is for the mother. Smaller carp streamers are flown for each child in the household.

We ended up getting a few hundred pictures, got to the store before closing time, bought Mother's Day cards were done chasing light and capturing Koi Nobori way before sundown.

The only thing that went wrong today was the post office closed before I could mail my Mother's Day card. 

So, now I'll go back and see if I can find a better Koi Nobori photo in my pile and email it to Mom. 

She's probably too old to be reading cards, anyway.  Ya think?

For more information about Koi Nobori in Japan VISIT HERE

To all mothers, around the world, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !

See my Homepage for THE PHOTO OF THE DAY


2 comments:

Muza-chan said...

Great photos, I like koinobori :)

RyukyuMike said...

Muza-chan,
Thanks. I really need to get out and shoot more before everyone pulls them down and puts them away for another year.